Sleepwalking is a disorder characterized by walking or other activities while seemingly still asleep. Sleepwalking is characterized by a complex behavior (walking) occurring while asleep. Occasionally nonsensical talking may occur. The person’s eyes are commonly open, but have a characteristic glassy “look right through you” character. This activity most commonly occurs during middle childhood and young adolescence.

There are five stages of sleep. Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 are characterized as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the sleep cycle associated with dreaming as well as surges of important hormones essential for proper growth and metabolism. Each sleep cycle (stages 1,2,3,4 and REM) last about 90-100 minutes and repeats throughout the night. The average person experiences four to five complete sleep cycles per night. Sleepwalking characteristically occurs during the first or second sleep cycles, during stages 3 and 4. Upon waking the sleepwalker has no memory of his or her behaviors. 

The sleepwalking activity may include simply sitting up and appearing awake while actually asleep, getting up and walking around, or complex activities such as moving furniture, going to the bathroom, dressing and undressing, and similar activities. Some people even drive a car while actually asleep. One common misconception is that a person sleepwalking should not be awakened. It is not dangerous to awaken a sleepwalker, although it is common for the person to be confused or disoriented for a short time on awakening. Another misconception is that a person cannot be injured when sleepwalking; however, injuries caused by such events as tripping and loss of balance are common for sleepwalkers.

A person who has a sleepwalking disorder can take the following measures:
- get adequate sleep;
- meditate or do relaxation exercises;
- avoid any kind of stimuli (auditory or visual) prior to bedtime;
- keep a safe sleeping environment, free of harmful or sharp objects;
- sleep in a bedroom on the ground floor if possible to prevent falls and avoid bunk beds;
- lock the doors and windows;
- remove obstacles in the room, tripping over toys or objects is a potential hazard;
- cover glass windows with heavy drapes; and
- place an alarm or bell on the bedroom door and if necessary on any windows.

If sleepwalking is caused by underlying medical conditions, for example, gastroesophageal reflux, obstructive sleep apnea, periodic leg movements (restless leg syndrome), or seizures; the underlying medical condition should be treated.

Medications for the treatment of sleepwalking disorder may be necessary in the following situations:

- when the possibility of injury is real;
- when continued behaviors are causing significant family disruption or excessive daytime sleepiness; and
- when other measures have proven to be inadequate.

Relaxation techniques, mental imagery, and anticipatory awakenings are preferred for long-term treatment of persons with sleepwalking disorder. Relaxation and mental imagery should be undertaken only with the help of an experienced behavioral therapist or hypnotist. Anticipatory awakenings consist of waking the child or person approximately 15-20 minutes before the usual time of an event, and then keeping him or her awake through the time during which the episodes usually occur.